


With Or Without You

by maakwa



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Angst, Drama, F/F, Horror, Mild Gore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-08
Updated: 2018-05-10
Packaged: 2019-05-03 20:40:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14577219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maakwa/pseuds/maakwa
Summary: All those ambitions you have as a teen are all useless. Mina knows first-hand. 24 going on 25 and using a woman who adores her over anything else, Mina hates what this future has become. She regrets a lot. When a brown-haired girl opens a door into Mina's life, things change and something inside of Mina is awoken once again. But what?





	1. Prologue: Kaiho

**Author's Note:**

> So, the chapters in this story are probably going to be short as I'm trying to break this writer's block I have. This is also my first MiMo fic (to clarify, I mean anything with MiMo in it), so if you have any suggestions, hmu on twitter: @_imnoidol_
> 
> Don't let the tags scare you, it's pretty light stuff tbh it's just incase, yknow, like a warning ig.
> 
> Any anonymous suggestions, criticisms, discussion, etc. can be made here: https://curiouscat.me/maakwa 
> 
> (Also the first chapter was uploaded in January of 2018 on AFF so I hope I made progress since then)

“You were out until midnight last night.” Jeongyeon coughed and scratched her head as she sat on the recliner across from Mina who was laying on the couch, staring into the TV.

 

“I know.” She said, eyes boring into the TV.

 

Jeongyeon sighed and looked for the remote. There were just fitness infomercials playing and Jeongyeon figured that if Mina was just going to stare into the TV that she should watch something interesting.

“Do you want anything to eat, Mina?”

 

Mina grunted.

“No.”

 

Jeongyeon would make her something anyway.

 

Hours later, Mina still laid on the couch, eyes no longer on the TV, but at the white ceiling. Her hand lay on her forehead. Jeongyeon wanted to snap a picture of the beauty she saw before her, but she knew it would just annoy Mina, so Jeongyeon just continued getting ready for work.

“I’ll be back in 6 hours, do you want me to bring you something back, Mina?”

 

Mina rubbed her eyes and looked at the TV.

“No.”

 

Jeongyeon would bring her back something anyways.

 

It was 8 PM when Jeongyeon came back from work. Mina was undressed on the couch with just her sports bra and panties on. She looked at Jeongyeon for the first time that day and Jeongyeon knew what was coming. She wasn’t particularly against it, but it made her feel guilty for some reason. After all these years, Jeongyeon and Mina were still just fuck buddies that lived together. There was a time when things were brighter and Mina laughed… but those days are long gone.

 

They both lay in silence in Jeongyeon’s small bed, naked. They’re not cuddling or even having skin contact. It was like fucking had turned into a business meeting after awhile and Mina just felt obligated to at least lay by Jeongyeon after her duties.

 

It hurt that this was all their relationship would add up to, but Jeongyeon would hurt even more if she couldn’t be used by Mina. This is what she wanted all those years ago, right? To at least be acknowledged by the love of her life was great, but to have her break your heart every day? It was honestly, in the sickest and saddest way, a dream come true. It did hurt. A lot. Jeongyeon hurt every day so, so, so bad. But she didn’t know what she would do without Mina.

Mina could care less. Jeongyeon could up and die for all she cared. Probably. Mina was hard to read these days, Jeongyeon thought.

 

Mina sighed into the silence.

 

Jeongyeon turned her head to look at her.

“Want me to make you some dinner?”

 

Mina opened her mouth to speak. Then she closed it and shut her eyes.

 

Jeongyeon sat up and picked her shirt up off the ground.

“If you go out tonight again, don’t forget your coat: I hear it’ll be freezing out,” She stood and grabbed her underwear off the nightstand.

“I put some heated-packs in your inside pockets, the instructions are on the package. I did put a new pepper spray in your right pocket, so be careful.” Jeongyeon cleared her throat and gave the woman she loved a small smile before she closed the door.

 

Mina was almost 5 years from 30 and she had done nothing that she had planned to do earlier in her life. What happened to being rich and famous? What happened to getting married in Italy? What happened to travelling to America and visiting Hollywood? She really does not know what happened. Where did she go wrong in her life?

 

Jeongyeon left for work 20 minutes ago, she thought, she’ll be back in 5 hours and 40 minutes. Honestly, Jeongyeon talking to her was the most social that she was being in her life these days. When she goes out for hours at night, she just goes to the local river and she cries. People used to ask her what was wrong but she just shook her head and continued. She could never cry in front of Jeongyeon.

 

BANG

 

Mina jumped off the couch and looked at their front door. This small, poor-looking house wasn’t a place ideal for solicitors to visit, Mina thought.

 

BANG

 

Maybe it’s just a mental bat.

 

BANG

 

Or a blind animal.

 

BANG BANG

 

It’s probably the wind and-and some round object.

 

BANG BANG BANG

 

The raps were louder and heavier. It was raining quite a deal, she assured herself, it could just be some thunder, right?

 

BANG “Help,” BANG

 

Mina was jittering as she processed the noise. It was a small call for help. Mina needed to help, right? The bangs continued but she still stood paralysed from fear.

 

BANG BANG “Please,”

 

The banging stopped.

 

Mina swallowed the lump in her throat.

 

Open the door right now.

 

Mina rushed to the door suddenly and flung it open. Her eyes widened and she looked at her hands.

“What was-“

 

Heavy footsteps welcomed a wet dark figure as it walked into Jeongyeon and Mina’s small house.

“Thank you,” the figure took off their large coat and cleared their throat. “It’s awfully cold and wet out there.” They faced Mina.

 

What Mina saw was a beautiful brown-haired girl, the kind that you’d want to live in a dorm with and fall for. She looked like the type of girl who enjoyed reading on the beach and clinging to you during a scary movie, but her aura was anything but that. Mina was entranced.

 

The brown-haired girl took her gloves off and held a hand out to Mina.

“Excuse me for the sudden entrance, my name is Hirai Momo,” she smirked and Mina took her hand without thinking.

 

 

Hirai Momo…

 

 

 

 

\--------------------------


	2. Chapter 1: Intueor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Uploaded in February of 2018 on AFF)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AO3 is where the big leagues are tbh so I'm hoping I can get some tips and criticism here lmao. Maybe I'm a little self-conscious but just a reminder that this entire story is to help me get out of my writers' block............ please, if needed, tear me up fam.

Hirai Momo glanced around Mina and Jeongyeon’s small house and hummed.

“Something in here is dead.” She started cautiously stepping around the living room, leaving Mina shocked at the door.

 

Something dead? What is she, a dog? Mina smiled hysterically to herself. She must be losing her mind…

 

Hirai Momo peeped her head around and then she gave a look to Mina, who stood mute at the front door.

“You…” She smirked at pointed a finger at her.

 

“Me?” Me, who? What about me, she thought. Hirai Momo walked slowly to Mina and it felt like ages when she reached her. Mina couldn’t move and just stood, watching as Momo’s index finger hovered centimetres from her chest.

 

Hirai Momo spoke deeply with a twisted smile.

“Something is dead in here.” She softly placed her finger on Mina’s chest.

 

Mina gasped at how close she realised the brown-haired girl was.

“W-what?” She brilliantly asked.

 

“What inside of you is dead, I wonder?” Hirai Momo stepped away and started walking around mindlessly.

“Curiosity could very well be the end of me, should I pursue this mystery?”

 

Honestly speaking from the heart, Mina thought, I have no goddamn clue of what is going on right now.

 

Hirai Momo suddenly turned and looked at Mina.

“I have my answer.”

 

“What?”

 

Hirai Momo smiled.

“‘What’ indeed.”

Mina swore she could see Hirai Momo’s eyes flood with a deep red before everything on that rainy afternoon went dark.

 

 

 

 

 

——————————

 

The Enchanted Brookes Hotel, Casino, & Resort was no doubt the finance of the small college town of Godoghan.

Not only is it a casino and resort, but for the little less than middle-class people, there was a rather nice motel area as well, for fairly cheap prices.

EnBrookes, as the locals call it, also is the home of several businesses. Basically a small mall, EnBrookes has it all, it’s practically a small town in itself.

Jeongyeon worked at a busier and more popular restaurant as a waitress.

 

 

“See you tomorrow, Jeongyeon.” Her coworker, Dongwoo, told her as she put her coat on.

 

She smiled at him, too tired to speak.

Jeongyeon walked out the establishment and to the entrance when she smelled a familiar unwelcome (at least in this moment) smell. It was raining out. Great.

 

“Oh, my…” She sighed and decided that she would wait it out on a nearby table. Mina can handle thunder, Jeongyeon thought, as long as the lighting doesn’t strike too close to home.

 

“Who’s Mina?” A cute voice asked, sitting casually across from her like she didn't appear about a second ago.

 

Jeongyeon jumped.

“Geez.” She held her chest. Who was this girl? How did she just sneak up and sit across from her? Jeongyeon, being the anime and yellow-belt that she was, was rather disappointed in herself. Maybe she isn’t as good at hearing as she is at smelling anymore.

 

“Smelling?” The girl rested her chin on her hand and tilted her head at Jeongyeon. “What are you? A dog?” She laughed.

 

“Did I say that out loud?” Jeongyeon furrowed her brow.

 

The girl smirked.

“You sure did.”

 

Jeongyeon thought back. Is she really this forgetful? She’s only 25 but is she really becoming some old gook already? Her face paled.

 

“You don’t look a day over 19.” The girl continued confusing Jeongyeon.

 

“I could’ve sworn that I hadn’t moved my mouth at all.” She frowned at the mysterious girl.

 

“Ah, poo, you caught me,” She smiled. “Yep, I can read minds.”

 

Jeongyeon deadpanned.

“Right…”

Jeongyeon could be pretty dumb at times, but there was no way that this young girl could read minds. Then this meant that Jeongyeon really was getting old… Oh, if such a fantasy of this girl being able to read minds were true…

 

“I’m not that young, come on,” The girl laughed. “I’ve just turned 18, probably.”

 

“Probably?” Jeongyeon frowned again.

 

The girl just shrugged.

“I’m Minatozaki Sana, you are?”

 

“Can’t you read my mind to find that out?” Jeongyeon said sarcastically, hiding her smile. As if she could guess my name. Yoo Jeongyeon wasn’t the most common Korean name, she doubted that this girl, Sana, could guess her name out of the bl-

 

“Yoo Jeongyeon.” Jeongyeon whipped her head at Sana in surprise. The girl chuckled in response.

“What?”

 

Jeongyeon considered getting up and walking away, calling the FBI and going into the witness protection program, and the possibility of a stalker in the matter of seconds before giving her the benefit of the doubt.

 

“You just going to gape at me all day?”

 

Jeongyeon sat back in her chair.

“You really can read minds then, yeah?”

 

“Yep.”

 

“How? Why?”

 

Sana put her hands in her lap.

“As for how, I don’t think you’re ready to know. As for why, well, I don’t quite know that either, but I have my guesses,” Sana smiled oddly sadly.

 

Jeongyeon frowned once again.

This girl was really something. It was odd enough that she’d come up to a complete stranger and start a conversation, but she’s also an 18-year-old mind-reader. It was something that Jeongyeon found hard to fathom. She was a whole 6 years her senior, yet this Minatozaki came along to talk to her. Is Jeongyeon just a fool being pranked right now? Will she see herself on national television one day? Who would’ve set this is? Certainly not Mina. Dowoon, maybe. Eunkwang could’ve, but he wouldn’t have the money for this.

For a second, let’s say that this girl really, absolutely, certainly CAN read minds, why read Jeongyeon’s? Surely there are some handsome young men sitting around EnBrookes - or even beautiful women her age, so why Jeongyeon?

 

“Should there be a reason, Jeongyeon?” Sana stared at Jeongyeon who jumped.

 

She sighed.

“I don’t think I can understand this whole mind-reading thing, Ms Sana.”

 

Sana shifted slightly.

“I’m younger than you, dropped the formalities.”

 

Jeongyeon raised her eyebrow at Sana.

 

The younger girl’s eyes widened.

“D-drop the formalities, please?”

 

“Wah.” Jeongyeon scoffed and shook her head.

“Today’s youth really is something…”

 

The rain poured harder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> curiouscat.me/doc_imnoidol


	3. Chapter 2: τοξικόν

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Uploaded in March of 2018 on AFF)

Some years back, a fair maiden was stumbling around in a deep, dark, lush forest. Her breath was ragged and her steps were jagged. Down from her neck and all down her sparse clothing, her blood drained. With each thudded step she groaned and she could feel her vision giving out as her head flew.

 

Was it to end like this?

 

Her eyes welled up with heartbroken tears. In her heart, a lone animal growled and bit at the walls of her organ. She winced every time as her heart jumped and kicked, her heartbeat raving in her ears. She could see the black creep into her vision and slowly crawl in from each corner of her sight.

 

No, please, I need to keep going…

 

She stammered with her steps and grasped at the open wound on her neck.

“Lord in Heaven, please no…” she gasped out as she felt her body falling.

 

Shaking her head violently, she tried running. The pain became worse and soon enough, the maiden was crying and sobbing. The animal howled in her heart and nipped at her insides, she felt pain like no other, a pain that made her feel so close to death, yet so alive. Odd that it took this feeling to know what living was.

 

Her breathes turned into struggles for air that she yearned to swallow and her eyes flooded with pain.

 

“No…” she whimpered.

 

It was hopeless at this point. Her village was at least a half a mile away and that’s assuming that she didn’t lose what direction she meant to go in. Her legs were as fragile as brittle and she was close to screaming in agony as she suppressed the urge to give up.

 

“Heavens, no…” she slowed down and her head lifted toward the taunting bright blue sky.

 

“Kingdom come is not yet ready for you, my child,” a voice boomed inside of the maiden’s ears and she tried to scream, move, anything.

“I am truly sorry for the rest of the time that you will have ahead of you.”

 

The maiden felt a grasp at her ankles and then seen the blue sky move farther and farther away. The wet soil was crushing her body and she prayed for the paralysis to stop so that she could scream.

 

“Forgive me, child, please,” the voice thundered a sob in her head.

“I did not want this,” the voice trembled, “Kingdom come will make it up to you when your time comes - I, myself, will make positive of it.” It let out a final shaky sigh before leaving the maiden’s head. She was relieved but she could see nothing. It was all black. She opened her mouth to scream, but she tasted only dirt.

 

The maiden was buried alive. She couldn’t scream, she couldn’t feel, she could only suffocate in the darkness as her body died. Soon enough, her mind will die out and her thoughts will be no more. She tried to cry.

 

The maiden was doomed to do nothing for the remainder of her mortal life.

 

 

 

—————————

 

 

Hirai Momo’s eyes flew open and she sat up from a top the roof she chose to sleep on. The sun was bright and the air was rather dense. No longer was it thundering, Momo though, good. She stood and jumped off the roof and landed in an alleyway.

 

…

 

…

 

…Maybe she should stop sleeping in such places, it makes her feel like she’s trying to be cool…

 

 

“Yeah, it would seem that way.”

A rather high-pitched voice called from behind Momo.

 

She sighed and rolled her eyes.

“What do you want?”

 

“Is that a rhetorical question?”

 

“Leave me alone, Minatozaki Sana.”

Momo started walking away from the dank alley, the sun gleaming in her eyes as she came out onto the sidewalk.

 

“Wouldn’t you just love that?”

Sana spit out as she strolled alongside Momo, who hunched over.

 

“Seriously, Minatozaki Sana, why are you here?”

 

Sana hummed.

“I ask myself that same exact question every day, it seems.”

 

Momo groaned.

“I can’t undo what’s been done. Bothering me like this just wastes your and my energy.”

 

“Repent maybe for once in your fucking immortal life, Satan.”

 

“Leave me, Minatozaki Sana.” Momo heard a scoff from behind her and as she looked back, Minatozaki Sana was gone. Momo sighed.

 

 

Momo knew she needed to keep herself on track for her venture that’d be coming up soon. To reawaken that Mina woman’s insides. She was most definitely going to regret her decisions of the past 24 hours, but at least something will be exciting in her immortal life for the first time in decades.

 

 

 

——————

 

 

It smelled of bacon and eggs. An American meal that Mina quite enjoyed. She opened her eyes slowly. The ceiling of the small house greeted her and judging by the marks on it, she must’ve fell asleep on the couch.

 

“Mina? Are you up?” A warm voice came from behind her in the kitchen.

 

Mina hummed and slowly sat up, body aching for some reason. She groaned.

 

Jeongyeon rushed out of the kitchen with a glass of water and some aspirin.

“I’ll be done with breakfast in a bit, for now, take this.”

 

Mina took the pill and swallowed the water in a large gulp. Oddly enough, she was extremely satisfied despite having a strong abhorrence for water in any form.

 

“Sorry I came back home late last night,” Mina slightly raised her eyebrows and gave Jeongyeon the empty glass.  
“I, uh, got caught up at work.”

Jeongyeon slightly frowned as Mina sat back. Maybe a little concern at least once in a while would be nice. Perhaps that’s too much to ask for, Jeongyeon thought immediately regretting thinking so greedily.

 

She silently walked back into the kitchen feeling rather disappointed, though she didn’t know what she expected.

 

 

—

 

 

“Depending on the weather, I might be back a little later than usual, Mina,” Jeongyeon glanced at the small umbrella by the coat rack as she zipped up her jacket.

 

Mina hummed.

 

“I’ll bring back some dinner.” Jeongyeon sighed as she opened the door, taking a last glance at Mina and the umbrella. There was a good chance that it wouldn’t rain anyways, she thought.

 

 

Mina got up to stretch as her back felt tense. She walked around the house a bit and tried to think about her late ambitions before she stumbled upon what looked to be a muddy boot print halfway off the living room floor and the rug.

 

Then it hit her.

 

“Hirai Momo,” she whispered.

 

The front door opened slowly and Mina looked over in horror and the brown-haired girl who casually strolled in.

“You called?”

 

Heavy and quick breathes was the only thing that kept Mina from passing out.

“J-Jeo-“

 

Momo came over quickly to Mina and shushed her.

“No need for that other woman, not when I’m here, Mina.”

 

Mina became locked into Hirai Momo’s eyes and felt a calm sweep over her shaking body, making it’s way to her weak knees.

Momo caught her as she dropped.

“Isn’t this something,” Momo mumbled under her breath as she picked Mina up bridal style.

 

 

Mina opened her eyes and sat up quickly, eyes darting around Jeongyeon’s bedroom.

 

“Please, Mina, don’t worry. I’m not here to hurt you.”

The disturbingly soothing voice made Mina gasp.

 

“W-Where-?”

 

“Currently, I’m in your head.” Mina could hear Momo smiling.

 

She shuddered.

“Stop this, please.” She began sobbing and clutched at her hair, lowering her head into her lap.

 

“Mina, what is it going to take for you to be comfortable with my existence? I’m just here to reawaken whatever inside of you is dead.” Momo’s voice stopped echoing in her head and the sound of footsteps came into Jeongyeon’s room.

 

Momo sighed and spoke under her breath.

 

“Stop,” Mina said.

 

“Pardon?”

 

“You’re doing something to me- you’re playing with my emotions, stop that.” Mina finally looked up at the brown haired girl who looked concerned, standing at the door of the open room.

 

The brown haired girl tilted her head and smiled slightly.

“Got it.”

 

They bathed in the silence and reoccurring sniffles as Mina calmed down herself.

“What do you want with me?”

Mina spoke after at least 20 minutes.

 

Hirai Momo walked slowly over to the bed but stopped abruptly, raising her hands as Mina glared at her.  
“Just want to figure out what inside of you is dead and reawaken it.”

 

The black haired woman shook her head and laughed weakly.

“That’s ridiculous.”

 

“Would it be easier if you knew what I was?”

 

Mina looked up in shock.

“You’re not human?”

 

“I thought that was obvious, sorry.”

 

Why is this happening to me, Mina thought. Her life was just where it deserved to be, the sorrow wasn’t too much that it was breaking like she is now. Her sanity was absolutely deteriorating at this point.

 

After the long silence, Momo broke it.

“Well, I’m what could be called a lamia, to put it into words.”

 

Mina looked up in desperation.

“What, like a ghoul?”

 

Momo nodded consciously, twirling her thumb around each other.

“Something along those lines.”

 

It wasn’t often that Momo revealed that she wasn’t exactly a human to people, but 80% of the time, she’d start some town mob.

 

“You eat people?” Mina asked, peeking at the lamia from over her arm.

 

She sighed.  
“Yes.”

 

The unstable woman shook her head and started hyperventilating again.

 

“Mina, it’s… a matter of… life or death for me…”

Momo said, scratching the back of her neck.

 

“Life, huh?” She asked shakily.

 

Momo cleared her throat.

“Yes.”

 

Mina took a deep, shaky breath.

“This is a lot to process… something inside me is dead…” Momo hummed. “and you’re not even human…” Momo pressed her lips together and hummed again, quieter this time.

“It’s just not possible.”

 

The beautiful lamia crossed her arms and sighed.

“I wish it weren’t, to be honest. ‘Living’ like this,” she bent her fingers like quotes. “Isn’t something I ever wanted. If I could, I’d-“ Momo stopped speaking and shook her head.

 

The only human in the room looked at Momo in question.

“You seemed way scarier yesterday… right now you just seem…” Mina thought. “Vulnerable.”

 

Momo’s shoulders jumped and she looked unsettled.

“Is that so?”

 

Mina was still scared, absolutely scared, but she remained skeptical. If what this woman said is true, then what other supernatural beings are out there? Vampires, werewolves, witches, all of it used to seem like fun Halloween costumes and dumb story plots, but at this moment, the thought of all these cryptids sent paralysing shivers down her spine.

“I can’t- I just can’t.” She shook her head over and over again.

 

“Listen, Mina,” Momo spoke as the woman slowly stopped shaking her head. “Maybe this is all too much for one day. I’ll come back another day then”

 

Lifting her head up, her eyes widened. Come back?

“Wait-!”

Hirai Momo was already gone. Mina, eyes even wider, screamed in terror and pulled the covers over her head.

 

 

————

 

 

Jeongyeon kept watching the clock as she brought out plate after plate. One of Jeongyeon’s coworkers, Moonbin, came up to her during her break.

“So, who is this girl you’re waiting to see?”

 

Jeongyeon coughed on her cigarette.

“W-what? How did you-?”

 

Moonbin chuckled like the charming prince he was.

“You keep checking the clock. I used to be that way when I first met my girlfriend.”

Jeongyeon laughed weakly. Was she really that easy to read?

 

She shook her head.

“It’s nothing really. Just… a girl…”

Jeongyeon offered him a drag.

 

He took the cigarette as he sat down on the concrete steps next to her.

“The girl is just a girl?”

 

Jeongyeon nodded.

 

Moonbin blew a cloud of smoke out through his mouth and nose.

“Makes sense.”

 

The two laughed.

 

He looked at Jeongyeon.

“You can’t let yourself live like a maid for someone who doesn’t even show affection for you, Jeong.”

 

She pursed her lips and looked down.

 

Moonbin took a long drag.

“You probably don’t want to hear this, I know, but no matter how hard you love her, she doesn’t deserve you if she can’t even give you a smile anymore,” Jeongyeon watched as he tapped the growing ash off the lit cigarette.

“You’re way too good a person to not be loved. You deserve someone to look forward to seeing after work, even if she is ‘just a girl’.” Moonbin slightly pushed her and smiled.

 

She smiled slightly and let his words brew in her head.

 

Moonbin offered her the cigarette back. She stared at the burning tobacco for a moment and thought about what he said again.

“No, you can have it,” She stood.

“My break’s over anyway.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://curiouscat.me/maakwa


	4. Chapter 3: Msaada

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Posted in May of 2018 on AFF)

The scent of fire blew up into Mina’s nose, rushing her to open her eyes, immediately becoming filled with water. The smoke was so deep in the room, she could feel it in her lungs when she gasped. She hardly had any time to process what was going on when a painful sensation engulfed her foot. It was fire, her house was on fire. Through the heavy dark smoke, flames came through.

 

It was kinda odd how the bright flames hid behind their own dark cloud.

 

Her vision was so smoky that she couldn’t even tell which room she was in, everything just looked black. It burned to breathe so she stopped. It hurt to move so she stopped. She just sat there in a curled ball, still. It was almost like being under water. Seeing how long you and your friends could hold your breath. She wanted to swim up, she needed to swim up. Mina was suffocating. Her lungs longed for oxygen.

 

Please let me up.

 

Please let me up.

 

It hurts.

 

Mina felt all the clothing on her body burst into flame and she felt the skin start to slide off her legs.

It took all her sanity to keep her from screaming.

 

I want to swim up.

 

Let me go up.

 

Please, please.

 

“Don’t worry, Mina,”

 

She heard a splash above her like someone threw a large stone into a pond.

Then Mina was being pulled up and gravity was so low, she could probably start swimming.

 

When she opened her eyes, she saw a wavering light come closer. It looked like there was a blurry window that she was being pulled through. She braced for impact, but as soon as she touched it, it felt like she was being broke out of a prison of some sort and she gasped for air. It was the best feeling that she had ever experienced, being able to breathe again.

 

 

The pain of the burns was intense now that she was exposed to oxygen. Whatever pulled her out of that burning house and out of the water was gone, so Mina was left on her own to swim to shore. It was a pretty setting, vegetation surrounding the nicely sized pond, it didn’t look dirty at all, just extremely ethereal and beautiful. Mina whimpered with each movement but eventually poured herself on shore, resting and wanting nothing more than a day of sleep at least. It burned so bad, so bad, so bad.

 

“Mina,” she heard a familiar voice call out to her like an angel and she looked up to see the figure in front of her.

“Let me help you.” It held out a hand. Mina’s own hand twitched, stopping itself to consider the consequences.

“I can make it stop hurting.” And with the snap of a finger, Mina grasped the hand held out to her.

 

 

“I’ll be here from now on, Mina.”


	5. Chapter 4: Thunder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some lore (I guess?), sunrises, and rainy afternoons.

Thunder swung in the distance and lighting struck, lighting the night sky.

 

Mina woke up in a sweat. Above her was that ceiling once again. The living room?

 

Did she not just almost die in a fire and drown in a pond?

 

She sat up to look at her legs to see if they were still covered with her skin.

Mina gasped when she found what looked to be faded burns on her legs. Definitely scars.

“Sorry I wasn’t there earlier,” Mina’s head whipped to the voice and seen the brown haired girl - Hirai Momo - from days ago.

“If I had been just a minute earlier than I was, these scars wouldn’t be there.”

Momo sat at the opposite end of the couch.

 

Mina, still between sleep and processing, simply hummed in question.

 

Momo looked at Mina as she spoke,

“In your sleep? You were in a fire and then in water, right?”

 

The black haired beauty froze.

 

“I guess Hatred runs deep within you,”

 

 

“Huh?”

 

“Hatred. She’s like a demon from hell who corrupts emotions in select humans every century or so.” Momo said it so nonchalant that Mina didn’t want to worry.

 

“D-Demon?”

Mina scrunched her eyebrows in worry and looked at Momo who promptly stopped staring at her.

 

“Y-Yeah, something like that.” Momo fiddled with her thumbs and cleared her throat to explain more.

“About three hundred years before our current year, Hatred was dragged down to hell as a sacrifice for peace - a deal made by Satan and God themselves. Hatred is one of the few humans who made the cut to be a demon.”

 

Mina shook her head.

“God? Satan? What?”

 

“Oh, you don’t believe in them?”

Momo smiled at Mina.

 

“I didn’t say that,” Mina looked at her surroundings cautiously.

“But, why would God make a deal with the Devil?”

 

“God made a deal with Satan to ensure peace. Satan’s trip down to the underworld wasn’t most pleasant and Satan had quite a bit of power that they used to cause a lot of damage on earth. God wasn’t made aware that Satan had done so much damage until it was too late.” Momo shuddered slightly. “What God kept repairing, Satan destroyed twice as much. What was born was also damned to what would soon be known as Hell. It hurt God to see his creations destroyed so Satan said that if God wanted them to stop, to make a deal. God agreed.” Mina swallowed. “The deal was: Every few centuries, the purest human would be sent to Hell for 200 years.”

 

“Why would one life matter to God?” Mina asked.

 

“When a human is taken from earth by something other than natural causes and human-made effects, a small amount of his power is sent to Satan, and God receives the emotions of the human that was taken.”

 

The long black haired Japanese girl’s eyes widened.

“Then-“

 

“God will no longer be God anymore. Just another human.” Momo looked at Mina with a stern face.

 

“And Satan?” Mina returned the look with worry.

 

“Will be something like the new God.”

 

Mina, now fully awake, stood up.

“What is God doing about this now?”

 

“Not much,” Momo stood up as well.

“As far as I know, we’ve still got several if not hundreds of millennials until the fall of God.”

 

Her shoulders relaxed, as did Momo’s.

“How do you know so much about this? I thought you were just some ghoul.”

 

The “ghoul” smiled.

“I could be.”

 

Mina sighed deeply with her eyes trying to pry open Hirai Momo.

 

 

 

As the sun began to show itself through the cloud dark sky, Mina felt her eyelids begin to drop. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t freaked the fuck out with the information a pretty girl who isn’t even a human had told her 4 hours prior to this very moment.

 

All she wanted to do was sleep. Her anxiety is what told her to stay up to avoid another rollercoaster ride with Hatred. While Hirai Momo promised to look over her, Mina still had her doubts. Sure in her “dream” she had pretty much sealed a damn contract with the ghoul - or whatever the hell this girl was - but Mina trusted no one more than herself.

 

“Myoui-san?” The voice Mina would never admit gave her the smallest bit of relaxation rang in her ears.

 

She internally hummed.

 

“I’m on the roof,” Momo had explained to Mina that she could communicate with a weak form of telepathy a few times a week.

 

If it could only happen a few times a week, why wouldn’t she save it? Mina thought.

“Ok.” It was vaguely like typing on a keyboard, so Mina’s past of playing War of Warcraft helped quite a bit here. Which made her think that Jeongyeon would probably never be able to communicate in such a way as she was terrible with electronics.

 

“Come up and watch the sunrise with me?” Mina thought for a minute.

“Please?”

 

The small pleading in her voice is what made Mina sigh and stand up.

“Why not.” She meant to say that to herself.

 

Making a mental note to be careful what she thinks, Mina opened the backyard screen door. In front of her was a dark and seemingly deep forest that went to God knows where. Fog covered the ground, making Mina a tad bit cautious of her steps.

 

“Up here, Myoui-san!” Mina turned her head to Momo who sat on the roof. She looked like a young teenager with that smile on her face. It was welcoming.

 

A cold breeze made the mortal girl fold her arms across her chest.

“How exactly do you expect me to get up there?”

Momo pointed to the edge of the roof to a dirty ladder that loosely leaned against the house.

“Are you kidding?”

 

Momo smiled and turned back towards the brighter side of the world, leaving Mina in the dark.

 

She’s this kind of person, Mina thought, smiling to herself as she reminisced of a few friends she had like this in high school.

 

Regardless, Mina found herself climbing the alarmingly creaky ladder and right next to the unearthly being, Momo.

“So,” Mina let out a breath, “What exactly am I looking for?” She glanced around at the still dark sky.

 

Momo pointed out to some tops of trees.

“Look through those two trees right there.”

 

The woman creased her brow and tried to match up to where Momo was pointing.

“Those?” She pointed at some trees in the general area to where she pointed.

 

Momo shook her head and moved closer, making Mina tense up.

“Right,” Momo took her own arm and encased Mina’s in it.

“There,” Mina turned towards the girl and was hit with the weirdest sensation.

 

It was like the world spun twenty times while the sound of space whistled in her ears. The scent of Hirai Momo smelled deeply like the woods in the most comforting and refreshing way - it oddly made her want to go camping.

 

The world flooded its way back into Mina’s hearing.

“See it?” The brown haired girl turned her face down to Mina’s unmoving eyes.

 

They were hardly inches apart, Mina’s eyes sunk into Momo’s, her body was suddenly extremely conscious of Momo’s confusing heat, and she swore she felt the taller girl’s hand tighten around hers.

 

Momo let her arm fall onto Mina’s lap and she looked at her lips with an unreadable look in her eyes.

Letting her arm rest on Momo’s, the younger woman leaned into her.

 

Please.

 

The sun peeked through the two treetops and cast the now connected shadows of Mina and Momo onto the mildew covered grass.

 

 

————

 

 

“If I begged you to tell me why you chose to talk to me, out of all people,” Jeongyeon sat, relaxed at a booth inside of some cafe with a name she couldn’t be bothered with remembering.

“Would you tell me?”

She smiled as cheesy as she could.

 

Sana couldn’t help but giggle, dipping a finger into the whipped cream on her sundae.

“Probably not,” She smirked at Jeongyeon’s disappointment and licked the cream off her finger.

 

It was her off day. She had left the house a little earlier than usual - Mina wasn’t even there - and just sat around, waiting for Sana to appear as she did.

‘Waiting for me?’ She teased, flushing when Jeongyeon told her that’s exactly what she was doing.

 

“And you’re counting this as my supernatural question of the day, right?” Jeongyeon took her coffee mug and hung an arm on her backrest.

 

She smirked.

“Of course.”

 

The older girl rolled her eyes.

“Yes, of course.”

 

The two shared a pleasant laughter. It muffled into the somewhat loud cafe, carrying through the clinking of cups and coughs of smokers who sit with earbuds in and reached the place where a certain someone sat, all the way across the cafe.

They sat straight from their hunched position, moving their ears and listening to the laughter, analysing it to the point of sweat dripping down their forehead.

“No way…” The heavily clothed figure whispered.

It smirked and left some money at the table before walking out of the cafe.

 

 

 

 

“Check please!”

 

 

 

“It’s raining, Sana.” Jeongyeon thanked herself for bringing an umbrella.

 

“So I can see,” She looked around hopelessly, pouting almost.

 

Opening her umbrella, Jeongyeon turned to Sana with a question mark above her head.

“Let me guess,” she said smugly, “Self-proclaimed psychic, Minatozaki Sana forgot her umbrella this morning?”

 

Sana reddened and folded her arms.

“Maybe,” she muttered.

 

The tall girl smiled widely.

“Isn’t this a surprise?” She laughed.

“I wonder,” she put a finger on her chin and looked up,

“Is this even possible? A psychic forgetting her umbrella? Or,” Jeongyeon smiled slyly, bringing herself back to her flirtatious high school days.

“Could this be some ploy just to share the same umb-?”

 

“Alright! I get it! Just let me under!” Sana squeezed her way under Jeongyeon’s umbrella, redder than a tomato.

 

Jeongyeon smiled softly at Sana’s pouty face.

 

They walked on a little way, the sound of the rain pouncing on and off the umbrella soothing both bodies. The sky was cloudy and would normally give off a depressing mood that would make softy Jeongyeon cry, but she was with Sana and, honestly, she couldn’t be happier.

 

“We met on a rainy day too, didn’t we?” Jeongyeon mindlessly asked.

 

Sana hummed.

“It was a little over 3 weeks ago.”

 

“Is it not odd how we always seem to meet on a rainy day?” It was like every day it rained since they met. This surely would have to do with the change in seasons, but perhaps it was something supernatural that Sana knew more about.

 

“I mean I guess so,” Sana cleared her throat and looked distractedly elsewhere.

 

Jeongyeon furrowed her brow.

“What’s up?”

 

Sana softened up and smiled.

“I just thought I saw someone I knew, don’t worry about it,” She said this but Jeongyeon noticed that her shoulders were still tensed up.

 

“Right…”

 

A block in silence as Jeongyeon felt how obvious Sana tried to hide her cautiousness and sudden glances in every direction before the taller girl stopped abruptly. Sana’s expression softened up immediately and she looked at Jeongyeon in question.

“Are you okay, Jeong?”

 

She frowned and sighed.

“I actually wanted to ask you the same.”

 

Sana’s shoulders jumped.

“W-Why’s that?”

 

Jeongyeon shook her head.  
“You’ve obviously been on edge for at least 5 minutes now, what’s going on?”

 

The Japanese girl opened her mouth and closed it before glancing behind herself.

“Can we just keep going?” She grabbed Jeongyeon’s arm and walked fast.

 

“Sana-“ Jeongyeon tried to slow her down.

 

“There’s a nice shortcut here, Jeong,” She smiled back at Jeongyeon before continuing on.

“I go through here ALL the time,” She laughed lifelessly.

 

Jeongyeon kept her frowned-face and begged the gears in her head to start moving and ignore that she’s in physical contact with a human being - other than Mina - for the first time in at least 6 years.

 

“Just through here-“ Sana stopped suddenly, making Jeongyeon crash into the back of her. Surprisingly, the shorter girl was stable and hardly moved from where she stood if at all.

 

“Sana, what is-“ Jeongyeon’s eyes widened at the sight before her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welp, I guess I should start gearing up,, this is where I REALLY get to test my skills,,

**Author's Note:**

> I accept any form of criticism as I am trying to improve as a writer, so if you have anything on your mind about my writing, please do not hesitate to leave feedback here or on my curious cat: https://curiouscat.me/maakwa 


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